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Myanmar Buddhists attack Muslim village

by Reuters

Residents search through the rubble for what is left after an evening of violence.

Late Saturday around 1,000 Buddhists, some armed with sticks and swords, attacked Muslim residents and set fire to their homes and shops here in Myanmar's north.

Over two dozen buildings were burnt down.

Security forces fired into the air, eventually dispersing the mob.

The government says the issue stemmed from the attempted rape of a Buddhist woman by a Muslim man, who was detained by police.

When the police refused to give the man up, a crowd surrounding the police station began to riot.

Residents say they are saddened by the violence since they did nothing to deserve it.

Sectarian violence has been growing in Myanmar, driven partially by nationalist movements against the spread of Islam.

Several other regions have witnessed similar Buddhist-Muslim violence in the last two years.

More than 200 people have been killed since June 2012, while 140,000 others were displaced.

The vast majority of victims have been Muslim.

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